TopoTarget A/S
Symbion
Fruebjergvej 3
DK 2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Tel: +45 39 17 83 92
Fax: +45 39 17 94 92
CVR-nr: 25695771
www.topotarget.com
To the OMX
Announcement No. 05-08 / Copenhagen, February 26, 2008
TopoTarget Announces APO010 Patent Allowed in the USA
Copenhagen, Denmark - February 26, 2008 - TopoTarget A/S (OMX: TOPO) today
announced that a patent related to APO010 has been allowed in the United States
of America (USA).
APO010 is currently in Phase I trials in patients with refractory solid
tumours. Also called a mega-FasLigand, APO010, is a recombinant fusion protein
derived from the pro-apoptotic human Fas ligand (FasL) protein, a member of the
TNF protein family. APO010 targets Fas receptors (also known as CD95 or Apo1)
on the surface of cancer cells, and induces cell death via a mechanism of cell
suicide termed apoptosis.
The allowed application US 10/185,425 covers TopoTarget's Megaligand technology
whereby members of the tumour necrosis factor family such as FasL can be
multimerised into highly active forms. Additionally TopoTarget has been given a
patent extension in the US of approximately 15 months which means that the
estimated expiry is in 2022. This patent has already been granted in Europe,
Australia, Singapore, South Korea and South Africa and is pending in other
major territories.
“APO010 provides a completely new mechanism of action in treating cancer,
which we are testing in Phase I clinical trials. We are presently escalating
the dose to find the right level, and if we reach sufficiently high doses to
expect efficacy, we should have very good opportunities for finding a partner
for this project,” said Peter Buhl Jensen, Chief Executive Officer of
TopoTarget A/S. “This patent is part of our strategy to ensure we have strong
patent protection for our broad pipeline of oncology products.”
TopoTarget A/S
For further information, please contact:
Ulla Hald Buhl Telephone +45 39 17 83 92
Director IR & Communications Mobile +45 21 70 10 49
Background information
About TopoTarget
TopoTarget (OMX: TOPO) is a biotech company, headquartered in Denmark and with
subsidiaries in the US, Switzerland, Germany and the UK, dedicated to finding
''Answers for Cancer'' and developing improved cancer therapies. TopoTarget is
founded and run by clinical cancer specialists and combines years of hands-on
clinical experience with in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms of
cancer. Focus lies on highly predictive cancer models and key cancer targets
(including HDACi, NAD+, mTOR, FasLigand and topoisomerase II inhibitors) and a
strong development foundation has been built. TopoTarget has a broad portfolio
of small molecule pre-clinical drug candidates and nine drugs (both small
molecules and protein based) are in clinical development, including both novel
anti-cancer therapeutics and new cancer indications for existing drugs.
Savene®/Totect™ were approved by EMEA in 2006 and the FDA in 2007 and is
TopoTarget's first product on the market. For more information, please refer to
www.topotarget.com.
TopoTarget Safe Harbour Statement
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including statements
about our expectations of the progression of our preclinical and clinical
pipeline including the timing for commencement and completion of clinical
trials and with respect to cash burn guidance. Such statements are based on
management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in the forward-looking statements. TopoTarget cautions investors
that there can be no assurance that actual results or business conditions will
not differ materially from those projected or suggested in such forward-looking
statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the
following: The risk that any one or more of the drug development programs of
TopoTarget will not proceed as planned for technical, scientific or commercial
reasons or due to patient enrolment issues or based on new information from
non-clinical or clinical studies or from other sources; the success of
competing products and technologies; technological uncertainty and product
development risks; uncertainty of additional funding; TopoTarget's history of
incurring losses and the uncertainty of achieving profitability; TopoTarget's
stage of development as a biopharmaceutical company; government regulation;
patent infringement claims against TopoTarget's products, processes and
technologies; the ability to protect TopoTarget's patents and proprietary
rights; uncertainties relating to commercialization rights; and product
liability expo-sure; We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise, unless required by law.
